The echo of Kaius's cold words lingered in the Blair mansion's marble halls long after he'd retreated to his balcony.
Upstairs, Eliot Blair slipped into his bedroom, the door clicking shut behind him like a seal on a secret.
His small frame trembled, not from the chill of the floor seeping through his socks, but from the ache in his ches.
His phone glowed on the nightstand, a lifeline.
Leo had slipped him Austin's number before they swapped back, his grin wicked with the certainty of a kid who knew he was handing over dynamite.
His fingers shook as he opened w******p, typing Austin's number with a heart that raced so fast .
Eliot bit his lip so hard it bleed, typing as fast as his small hands could manage: Mom, I miss you. When are you coming to see me?
His phone buz
